Police confiscate sleeping bags of homeless

[StarlightMcKenzie]

www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/crime-court/police_swoop_on_the_homeless_taking_sleeping_bags_and_food_parcels_in_co_ordinated_raids_in_redbridge_1_2206446

Excellent.

Totally and utterly disgusting.

Under what actual law are the police allowed to just roll up and confiscate a person's entire belongings, because for the life of me I can't think of one?

I don't know. The Police comment at the end did nothing to explain.

It seems remarkably heartless.

Yes, I can envisage circumstances where you might want to move people on. No, I don't see why they had to take their stuff. Nor can I see why they didn!t act with a charity who might offer appropriate support to those people who needed moving on.

Disgusting.

"The public rely on police to reduce the negative impact of rough sleepers, this includes the need for us to assist in the removal of temporary structures, tents, and bedding from public spaces and other inappropriate locations.?

Negative impact, what about the severely negative impact of being homeless, without even temporary shelter or having nothing to stay warm.

The best way to mitigate against the negative impact of homelessness is to ensure everyone has somewhere to live.

Jeez haven't they got real criminals to be catching? What an incredibly mean lowlife thing to do. Talk about kicking people when they r down :(

That is terrible! The homelessness figures are only going to get higher. We should be helping these people!!

it's been so cold these last few days as well. No one gains from this.

FFS, this is my borough .

Those swimming baths have been shut for nearly 2 years now, supposedly being renovated... I'd rather the homeless got to use the premises as the council obviously have no intention of reopening it as a pool.

I have to say I haven't been aware of rough sleepers being a problem -, car crime and burglary, yes, but not rough sleepers. This is appalling.

So the police have STOLEN these peoples' belongings then? Shouldn't the officers be charged with theft then? Last time I checked it was illegal to take another person's property regardless of your profession. Obviously the police in this area have nothing better to do, shouldn't they be spending their time doing what they're paid for - catching criminals! Rather than stealing food and shelter from homeless people! FFS, heartless bastards! They should be ashamed of themselves. Let's hope none of these officers ever find themselves in the position of being homeless eh, how would they like people to just come up and steal their stuff!

I guess they see it the same as clearing graffiti perhaps?

You can complain to [email protected]

WTF? Police officers involved should be charged with theft and instructions issued PDQ to all other officers not to even think about behaving in such an illegal, bullying manner.

This is theft. Absolutely disgusting to steal their food and their bedding. Are the police hoping they will die in the cold? This is fucking outrageous

Their twitter feed says they are "aware of" tweets regarding the article and will be "making a response" soon.

So hopefully they are starting to feel pressure through social media.

It's very hard to begin to understand this. A town near us opened disused public buildings so that people sleeping rough had a place to go after one of them died of hypothermia. I assume these baths are the same and even if they're not, imagine the row if the police went into a squat community and took their possessions?

It sounds like pure abuse of power over people in an incredibly powerless position.

They should all be made to buy them all brand new sleeping bags out of their own pockets!!! And volunteer down the local food bank/soup kitchen/ shelter on their days off!

Hate this. Serious lack of humanity and common sense shown by police. Repugnant - even scary - attitudes.

I don't understand this. They were INSIDE, right? So not negatively impacting on anyone's street, as given as a reason by the police?

Unless there are hugely mitigating circumstances (and even then, jeez) that haven't come out, such as they were holding an 18,000 decibel rave for two days, or they were chucking bottles out of the door at people, or... or... or... you get the gist. EVEN IF the police think they were provoked, where the fucking hell in any procedure does it say 'so just take their stuff'. Food? Since when has food been a 'temporary structure'?

Email the police complaints people at [email protected]
I have always been one to defend the police but not on this, never, bastards. Did they join the police service to harass the vulnerable, taking their food and warmth away. It is beyond belief.

Haven't some London Boroughs banned rough sleeping.

I think we will see more of this, I don't think this will be a one off.

It's part of a bigger picture, where government tries to obscure the facts, hide homelessness or poverty away from the population. I guess they don't want us to realise just how much misery their policies are causing.

Will email [email protected]

It comes under the Met Police and not Essex from what I have seen on Twitter and this report

If you scroll down to the bottom of this report,somebody has questioned the legality of the police,s actions.

I don't even have the strength to think about what this means today.

I do remember, many years ago, seeing a PR poster about the police saying approx "The police have a duty to every householder" - and the "house" was a rough sleeper's kipping place.

But IIRC, that was when they needed to rebuild policing by consent, after the police-as-Maggie's-militia of the 80s.

I seem to remember in the 80s (when there were more people sleeping rough - or at least they were more visible) - the police used to "move on" and poss confiscate bedding?

Don't agree with it obviously but wonder if there is precedent / law for it to do with "vagrants" or something.

But they took their FOOD? What the actual fuck is wrong with them. Bastards.

If they were sleeping in a disused council building then almost certainly was not legal to be there.

Again, in no way saying I agree with police, but I am SURE they will have a law to support their actions.

Bastards.

Disgusting.
Have emailed.